In high school I knew a girl who was a major Cello player. Someone in band smashed her Cello right before her Julliard audition. They got her a new one, but it took awhile to "feel" right. Plus, her parents weren't rich.

Like, smashed as in deliberately broke the instrument?

Yes, in a jealous fit. Although, they didn't know who did it. It was stored in the band room, and then it was kindling.

"You know, it's easier to pull the trigger than play guitar. Easier to destroy than to create. " El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas in Desperado)

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

YAY for new French Horns! Even if they're used, it's amazing what a difference a quality horn makes. That's what I played all through high school and college, and when I had a chance with my job (at a music store) to take one home for a week to try it before I bought it, it was a no brainer at all. That intermediate one lasted through college (wasn't a performance major, but still played through it all) and was absolutely amazing. I know several people who still had spares sitting around because you never know when you're going to need to get something fixed. If the valves suddenly sieze up for no reason (faulty oil) it's nice to know that you can still play/perform.

I didn't keep my first horn, I sold it to pay for the new one and only had about a $400 balance. And anyone who's bought a french horn will realize that that a $400 intermediate horn is an amazing buy and can't be passed up. At all.

$400?! Wow. That is an amazing buy. The horn we bought was used by a woman who played it through college. It's probably good for us to have a spare.

Sold my old one for more than it was probably worth, and got a discount on the new one from working in the store that was selling it. It actually cost $1500, but it was only $400 out of pocket for me, which was the most amazing deal I've ever gotten in my life.

In high school I knew a girl who was a major Cello player. Someone in band smashed her Cello right before her Julliard audition. They got her a new one, but it took awhile to "feel" right. Plus, her parents weren't rich.

Like, smashed as in deliberately broke the instrument?

Yes, in a jealous fit. Although, they didn't know who did it. It was stored in the band room, and then it was kindling.

"You know, it's easier to pull the trigger than play guitar. Easier to destroy than to create. " El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas in Desperado)

"Any addlepated fool can break things, it takes a real man to fix things" - paraphrased from Catherine Marshall's Christy - my copy is missing after several moves - it might have been traded to a used book store at some time. It's been a while since I reread it - but I remember the first time it's said by a young woman to the man courting her...now if I had my copy, I could type it up word for word.

Breaking things out of jealousy is NOT a mature act - granted high school students aren't fully mature - but they should be a little past breaking things like that!

I had been playing piano for a while when I decided to try trumpet, also. I still remember the yard sale that mom bought it from. The mouthpiece cut my lip, and the bell was not attached. I convinced mom to buy a new mouthpiece, but that was it.

When I got to marching band, I was told that the banged up metal thing I had that tooted out notes needed to be fixed. So we got a few things done, and the only thing that kept me going was that I was a good musician, from piano. i could sight read, and was a good student.

I never played after school.

Fast forward 20 years, and my son is ready for band. I KNEW he needed a good instrument. We found a rent-to-own store, and they showed us an ok one. I asled if they had any more "in the back" and surprisingly, they had a beautiful trumpet, for a cheaper price! I paid right then and there, no renting, knowing it was a great deal.

Son has made All-State three years, and plays in three bands. With a wimpy and banged up pitiful instrument, he would have gotten his fine arts credit, and moved on to something else.

Not saying that the instrument made the musician, but, it certainly contributed.